1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to visual displays such as are used about upper portions of a periphery of building structure such as a service station to provide a degree of illumination and a visual indication assocaited with a particular vendor or the like, the invention particularly relating to an illuminated fascia of a canopy or the like having light emitting diodes as the illumination source mounted by sections at least one of which can be trimmed to length as necessary to fit within a succession of sections intended to accommodate particular dimensions of an installation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Buildings are commonly provided with illuminated fascia intended primarily to provide a visual indication of a commercial service associated with a particular vendor, such illuminated fascia typically being disposed about upper peripheral portions of a building with which commercial activity is associated. In particular, service station installations which include pumps for dispensing gasoline and the like are typically provided with building structure which surmounts and effectively shelters the pumps. As an identification of the particular vendor providing products and services at a particular location, illuminated fascia having particular coloration is disposed about the upper periphery of the building so that a potential user of such products and services can identify the source of the products and services and be guided to the location. In the prior art, various illumination sources, particularly incandescent and fluorescent illumination sources, have been used to produce light at least some of which is diffused through a colored diffuser and some of which is reflected from surfaces to which the diffuser and the light sources are mounted with the result being that a visual signal of at least one color is produced. The illumination so provided is intended to be attractive and part of an architectural statement made by the overall design of the service station or the like. Considerable practical problems exist with prior art illuminated fascia of this kind since incandescent and fluorescent light sources frequently require replacement due to the relatively short operational life thereof, it being necessary for a worker to scale a ladder to reach the elevated location of the illuminated fascia for changeout of a burned out lamp. Further, during installation of such illuminated fascia, it is often necessary to trim at least one section of a succession of sections of such illuminated fascia to a particular lengthwise dimension so that the length of the overall fascia can be caused to fit the lengthwise dimension of the building to which the fascia is mounted. In such situations, it is desirable to enable utilization of a single section both for fascia sections which can remain a full given length and for that section which must be trimmed to a particular lengthwise dimension in order to result in a desired fully installed length. Such a standard section which is capable of use with or without trimming must be configured so that the illumination provided in both the trimmed and untrimmed conditions is relatively constant along the full length of such sections. Existing illuminated fascia are presently produced commercially by entities such as Marketing Displays, Inc., a number of patents being assigned to this corporation such as U.S. Pat. No. RE 36,039 to Hillstrom et al, this patent disclosing a colored translucent body functioning as a light dispersion member such that light produced by illumination sources within the translucent body is diffused through said body to provide a visual signal of at least one color. Such illuminated fascia systems used at service stations and the like also typically provide backlighting which is reflected from fascia panels formed on surfaces of a building per se, the fascia panels reflecting light which can be the same or a different color from the colored light diffused through the translucent body forming a portion of the illuminated fascia. While the prior art has provided illuminated fascia useful in the manner so described, a long-felt need has been experienced in this field for advancements in the art which would reduce the need for frequent replacement of light sources and for improved installation of such illuminated fascia so that differing lengths of overall installations can be readily accommodated with desired illumination levels along full lengths of such installations. The present invention intends improvement of the art to the end of providing solutions to such long-felt needs.